Measurements of the methane relaxation times for application to the infrared emission models of the upper atmospheres of outer planets and Titan

The 7.8 micrometer emission from the nu(sub 4) band of methane (CH4) is a regularly observed feature in the stratosphere of all the giant planets and Titan. On Jupiter, enhancements in this emission are associated with the infrared hot spots in the auroral zone. Attempts to model this phenomenon in particular, and to understand the role of methane in general, have been hampered in part by a lack of adequate laboratory measurements of the collisional relaxation times for the nu(sub 3) and nu(sub 4) levels over the appropriate temperature range. To provide this needed data, a series of laboratory experiments were initiated. In the experimental arrangement the nu(sub3) band of methane is pumped at 3.3 micrometers using a pulsed infrared source (Nd:YAG/dye laser system equipped with a wave-length extender). The radiative lifetime of the nu(sub 3) level (approximately 37 ms) is much shorter than the nu(sub 4) lifetime (approximately 390 ms); however, a rapid V-V energy transfer rate ensures that the nu(sub 4) level is substantially populated. The photoacoustic technique is used to acquire relaxation rate information. The experiments are performed using a low-temperature, low-pressure cell. Experimental apparatus and technique are described. In addition some of the experimental difficulties associated with making these measurements are discussed and some preliminary results are presented

Suppressed coral settlement following mass bleaching in the southern Persian/Arabian Gulf

Coral reefs in the southern Persian/Arabian Gulf have become increasingly degraded in the past two decades, mainly due to recurrent mass coral bleaching events. The recovery of these reefs will be largely contingent upon the arrival and settlement of coral larvae and their post settlement growth and survival. Spatial and temporal patterns of coral settlement were quantified on 10 sites spanning \u3e350 km of the southern Gulf using settlement tiles for two years when consecutive bleaching events occurred. Coral settlement was highly seasonal, with peak settlement occurring in summer each year (\u3e95% of spat), with the remainder of settlement in autumn. Coral settlement was \u3e2-fold greater in the first year (928 spat) compared to the second year (397 spat) representing overall settlement densities of 95 m−2 yr−1 versus 40 m−2 yr−1. The dramatic declines in larval settlement between years suggests bleaching-related impacts on fecundity occurred during the gametogenic cycle late in the first year, as well as impaired survivorship of larvae and/or spat during the second year when severe bleaching coincided with the peak settlement period. Poritids and merulinids (‘others’) comprised 4% and 94% of the spat, respectively, while acroporids were virtually absent (1 recorded spat), suggesting the continued extirpation of this formerly dominant group and a continuing shift towards more stress-tolerant assemblages. Settlement rates in the southern Gulf are low in comparison to other marginal reef environments, and the bleaching-related suppression of settlement observed here suggests that larval supply is unlikely to be sufficient to support recovery of these increasingly degraded habitats. Given the increasing frequency of bleaching events in the southern Gulf the prognosis for the future of regional reefs is grim

The Interpretation of Trends in Treatment Statistics: An Example from Norway

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/65687/1/j.1752-7325.1980.tb01050.x.pd

Coral Reefs of the Gulf: Past, Present and the Future of a Unique Ecosystem

This issue of Marine Pollution Bulletin was guest edited by John Burt, David Feary, and Bernhard Riegl

Letters to the Editor

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/65900/1/j.1752-7325.1989.tb02048.x.pd

Settlement patterns of corals and other benthos on reefs with divergent environments and disturbances histories around the northeastern Arabian Peninsula

Larval supply is a principal factor determining the establishment, structure, and diversity of sessile benthic assemblages on coral reefs. Benthic reef communities in north-eastern Arabia have been subject to recurrent disturbances in recent years, and subsequent recovery will be, in part, driven by variation in the supply of available colonists. Using settlement tiles deployed seasonally over 1 year at eight sites encompassing three environmentally divergent regions (southern Arabian Gulf, the Musandam Peninsula in the Strait of Hormuz, and the Sea of Oman) we assessed spatial and seasonal variability in settlement of benthic reef organisms. There was strong spatial variation in composition of new colonists among regions, mainly driven by the high abundance of coralline algae in the Arabian Gulf, colonial ascidians on the Musandam Peninsula and barnacles in the Sea of Oman. Seasonal differences in composition of new colonists were less important than regional differences, with seasonal variation in settlement not consistent among regions. The number of corals settling to the tiles was low compared to those reported for other regions, with mean densities ranging from 0 corals m -2 year -1 in the Sea of Oman to 30 (± 0.6 SE) and 38 (± 0.5 SE) in Musandam and the Arabian Gulf, respectively. Peak coral settlement abundance in the Gulf occurred in summer and autumn and in Musandam in spring (averaging 82 and 70 settlers m -2 year -1 , respectively, during the peak settlement season). This work provides the first record of large-scale spatial and seasonal patterns of settlement in north-eastern Arabia and provides valuable information on the supply of settlers available to recolonize heavily disturbed reefs in this region. The extremely low rates of coral settlement suggest that these marginal reefs are likely to be extremely slow to recover from on-going and future disturbances

Regional variation in angioplasty practice in the United States: A report from the Hirulog angioplasty study

Pla general de la font anomenada Homenatge al poble, ubicada a la plaça Molina. A la part superior de la font, a cada costat, hi ha un escut cisellat. Sota un d'aquests es troba la frase Gratitud al Ayuntamiento.Realitzada en pedra abans de 1874

Genomic and transcriptomic signals of thermal tolerance in heat-tolerant corals (Platygyra daedalea) of the Arabian/Persian Gulf

© 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd Scleractinian corals occur in tropical regions near their upper thermal limits and are severely threatened by rising ocean temperatures. However, several recent studies have shown coral populations can harbour genetic variation in thermal tolerance. Here, we have extended these approaches to study heat tolerance of corals in the Persian/Arabian Gulf, where heat-tolerant local populations experience extreme summer temperatures (up to 36°C). To evaluate whether selection has depleted genetic variation in thermal tolerance, estimate potential future adaptive responses and understand the functional basis for these corals’ unusual heat tolerance, we conducted controlled crosses in the Gulf coral Platygyra daedalea. Heat tolerance is highly heritable in this population (h 2 = 0.487–0.748), suggesting substantial potential for adaptive responses to selection for elevated temperatures. To identify genetic markers associated with this variation, we conducted genomewide SNP genotyping in parental corals and tested for relationships between paternal genotype and offspring thermal tolerance. Resulting multilocus SNP genotypes explained a large fraction of variation in thermal tolerance in these crosses (69%). To investigate the functional basis of these differences in thermal tolerance, we profiled transcriptional responses in tolerant and susceptible families, revealing substantial sire effects on transcriptional responses to thermal stress. We also studied sequence variation in these expressed sequences, identifying alleles and functional groups of differentially expressed genes associated with thermal tolerance. Our findings demonstrate that corals in this population harbour extensive genetic variation in thermal tolerance, and heat-tolerant phenotypes differ in both gene sequences and transcriptional stress responses from their susceptible counterparts

A safe method of extracting DNA from Coccidioides immitis

Human-pathogenic fungi such as Coccidioides immitis and Histoplasma capsulatum must be handled in Biosafety level 3 containment facilities which make for a very awkward working environment (J.Y. Richmond and R.W. McKinney, eds. Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories, 3rd ed. NIH, Washington). In this paper we describe a safe and convenient method of extracting DNA from such fungi in which the culture is killed by steaming, allowing removal from the containment facilities, as soon as possible. The method was first developed with the non-pathogen Neurospora crassa, has worked well for both C. immitis and H. capsulatum, and should be useful for extracting DNA from any pathogenic fungus